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discount_viscount's review against another edition
1.0
Home slavery is more like it. I understand the desire to have a clean, well-run home but what good is it if you can never enjoy it because you are too busy freaking out about dying from orange juice that was poured back into the container. THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE and it bothers me that the women of my generation seem to have embraced this book. Feminist idealism seems to have been replaced by ridiculous domestic one-upmanship. In other words: BITCH BE CRAZY! AVOID IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY!
johndomc's review against another edition
3.0
Mendelson is persuasive when laying out the case for any particular activity of keeping house.
"Ironing gratifies the senses. The transformation of wrinkled, shapeless cloth into the smooth and gleaming folds of a familiar garment pleases the eye. The good scent of ironing is the most comfortable smell in the world. And the fingertips enjoy the changes in the fabrics from cold to warm, wet to dry, and rough to silky. There is nothing like keeping the hands busy with some familiar work to free the mind. You can learn Italian while you iron, as a friend of mine did, or you can simply think."
But I am quickly put off when I realize the enormity of what Mendelson is suggesting. You can iron not just dress shirts and pants but tablecloths, napkins, curtains, draperies, doilies? Wash fruits you are going to peel?
There's good advice on how not to be overwhelmed by housekeeping; how to enjoy and value it; how to set a routine and be able to look around (though tomorrow the house will need more keeping, and though you could have done more had you more time, more money, more appliances) and say to yourself: "The house is done!" And she definitely says, You don't have to do all this. They're just possibilities. But wisdom cannot always be used by those to whom it is given; and for me the book's effect is a little as if your boss were saying, look, this work is amateurish, missing a critical piece, and uninspiring to your coworkers. But, what's important is what you think! Do you want to call it good?
I like that she would rather spritz clothes with her hand than use a spray bottle.
She teaches you how to pull a book off the shelf and open it without cracking the spine.
She suggests that it's lonely work going to people's empty houses to clean, and that you might leave any cleaners you hire a note saying hello, wishing them a good day, and thanking them.
You learn the difference between soap and detergent. Why we turned to using sodium laureth sulfate in our shampoos, which I have always wondered without putting words to it.
"Ironing gratifies the senses. The transformation of wrinkled, shapeless cloth into the smooth and gleaming folds of a familiar garment pleases the eye. The good scent of ironing is the most comfortable smell in the world. And the fingertips enjoy the changes in the fabrics from cold to warm, wet to dry, and rough to silky. There is nothing like keeping the hands busy with some familiar work to free the mind. You can learn Italian while you iron, as a friend of mine did, or you can simply think."
But I am quickly put off when I realize the enormity of what Mendelson is suggesting. You can iron not just dress shirts and pants but tablecloths, napkins, curtains, draperies, doilies? Wash fruits you are going to peel?
There's good advice on how not to be overwhelmed by housekeeping; how to enjoy and value it; how to set a routine and be able to look around (though tomorrow the house will need more keeping, and though you could have done more had you more time, more money, more appliances) and say to yourself: "The house is done!" And she definitely says, You don't have to do all this. They're just possibilities. But wisdom cannot always be used by those to whom it is given; and for me the book's effect is a little as if your boss were saying, look, this work is amateurish, missing a critical piece, and uninspiring to your coworkers. But, what's important is what you think! Do you want to call it good?
I like that she would rather spritz clothes with her hand than use a spray bottle.
She teaches you how to pull a book off the shelf and open it without cracking the spine.
She suggests that it's lonely work going to people's empty houses to clean, and that you might leave any cleaners you hire a note saying hello, wishing them a good day, and thanking them.
You learn the difference between soap and detergent. Why we turned to using sodium laureth sulfate in our shampoos, which I have always wondered without putting words to it.
zade's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. It provides basic information about keeping house for those of us who didn't pay attention when we were young or who simply were not taught. Mendelson puts the art of housekeeping into perspective--not as the drudgery of unpaid "women's work" so many of us learned to despise, but rather as an act of love and an expression of caring. I turn to this book almost daily for advice on how to do things and for inspiration when I momentarily forget the value of what I'm doing.
northernlight's review against another edition
2.0
Aggh, this book really stressed me out! Like many women of my generation I didn't learn much about housekeeping and now I need to do it...but this book wasn't helpful to me. It made me feel completely overwhelmed. I think I need something a little more modern and realistic.
floodfish's review against another edition
2.0
A third of the book is useful, a third of it is over-prescribed and niggly, a third of it is uselessly obvious or pointless, and the whole thing is wow-this-lady-is-batshit-insane-and-I'm-glad-I'm-not-related-to-her.
mnreece's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book to be extremely delightful- though I didn't read it cover to cover. Good argument for why we should all learn these "homemaking" skills, no matter our gender or occupation.
bookworm_mommy's review against another edition
I stumbled upon this book while reading a magazine article on spring cleaning, and if it has anything remotely to do with the home, chances are it is covered by this book. I found parts of it rather interesting (or gross - like the bedbug/dust mite discussion). I enjoy details and minutia. It was inriguing to read about how I've been doing laundry wrong all these years and how long leftovers really are good for. \n \nHome Comforts covers every area of the house from the kitchen to the bathroom to outdoor storage. And ever facet of home care: papers, safety, cleaning, book care, fabrics, lighting, laundry, etc.\n \nWhile I don't recommend reading this book cover to cover as I did, it would certainly make a great reference book. I plan on ordering it (the one I got was from the library) to keep on the shelf for those times when I would like to look back at it.\n
usedtotheweather's review against another edition
A reference book, so not one to ever “finish.” But keeping it on my shelf.
kinderny's review against another edition
4.0
As a part of a cohort with parents who were in the first generation of economically middle class with a great percentage of women working outside the home, an interest in “home-making” for my generation is atypical if not outright subversive. While Cheryl Mendelson certainly writes from what she perceives as a female perspective, the wisdom and information she shares in Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House is universal and in no way gender specific.
Mendelson breaks down the uses of each room in the house and how best to maintain the cleanliness and comfort of it, but even more she philosophizes on what is important in life. To encourage orderliness in the home, she posits her “broke window theory”; she notes that if there is a broken window that is not fixed, the social contract appears to be broken and a location is more likely collect more signs of neglect from debris to graffiti. She connects this to behavior in the home- if a room is picked up, then it is more natural to pick up the teacup and bring it the sink or place a food wrapper in the trash. Once the orderliness is compromised, it is much easier to let the cleaning-up go, resulting in a messy living place.
Now most of us do not aspire to the author’s level of meticulousness. It is unlikely that many of us will change our pillowcases twice a week, nor clean our drains weekly either. However, Mendelson gives us reasons based in efficiency, and even more convincing- science, why many of the routines she recommends can improve our lives. And who wants to argue with reasons why we shouldn’t make our beds every morning? (Dust mites, that cause allergies, are more likely to die if the bedclothes are pulled down and everything allowed to air out). Also invaluable is a chart addressing the best means for stain removal and general cleaning. Environmentally sensitive solutions are of interest to many, so Mendelson’s recommendations for hot/cold water or baking soda, lemon juice or vinegar as cleaning agents in lieu of chemicals are useful. This is not a “green” book per se, but those interested in sustainable living could find much of interest in this book.
Mendelson breaks down the uses of each room in the house and how best to maintain the cleanliness and comfort of it, but even more she philosophizes on what is important in life. To encourage orderliness in the home, she posits her “broke window theory”; she notes that if there is a broken window that is not fixed, the social contract appears to be broken and a location is more likely collect more signs of neglect from debris to graffiti. She connects this to behavior in the home- if a room is picked up, then it is more natural to pick up the teacup and bring it the sink or place a food wrapper in the trash. Once the orderliness is compromised, it is much easier to let the cleaning-up go, resulting in a messy living place.
Now most of us do not aspire to the author’s level of meticulousness. It is unlikely that many of us will change our pillowcases twice a week, nor clean our drains weekly either. However, Mendelson gives us reasons based in efficiency, and even more convincing- science, why many of the routines she recommends can improve our lives. And who wants to argue with reasons why we shouldn’t make our beds every morning? (Dust mites, that cause allergies, are more likely to die if the bedclothes are pulled down and everything allowed to air out). Also invaluable is a chart addressing the best means for stain removal and general cleaning. Environmentally sensitive solutions are of interest to many, so Mendelson’s recommendations for hot/cold water or baking soda, lemon juice or vinegar as cleaning agents in lieu of chemicals are useful. This is not a “green” book per se, but those interested in sustainable living could find much of interest in this book.
jenniedee's review against another edition
4.0
Incredibly detailed and a great resource, but also highly likely to induce feelings of extreme inadequacy. Proceed with caution.